Stapling device



Oct. 4, 1938. E HAWKINS V 2,132,295

STAPLING DEVICE Filed May 5, I957 IN V EN TOR.'

Patented Oct. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in staples and more particularlyto devices'often referred to as pinch dogs. These devices are susceptible to a number of uses such as drawing 5 togetherand fastening the mitered corners of door-casings, picture-frames, pattern parts or any two pieces'of wood which are to be joined and clamped together.

When securing two pieces of wood or similar pliable substances together it is usually desirable, particularly in the arts hereinabove referred to, to urge the separate pieces forming the joints to a position immediately adjacent each other.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to devise a stapling device'or pinch dog with simple means so that when the device is driven into the parts to be joined a drawing action will be effected whereby the joinedpieces will be moved toward each other and clamped immediately adjacent each other.

Devices of this general type are not broadly new since pinch dogs have been known in the past. These earlier devices, however, have been made of rigid material'having the inner surfaces of the legs or prongs tapered so that the drawing action was accomplished by the inclined surfaces as the staple was driven into the-separate parts forming the joint. In such devices the distance between the legs was definitely fixed and the 'body portion formed of relatively heavy material so as to prevent any distortion of the device when it was driven into the material. Bending-of such devices destroyed their usefulness so that it was necessary in the manufacture of these 35 prior devices to provide a relatively heavy, rigid body portion, which of course required considerable material rendering the devices expensive.

Accordingly it is another object of the present invention to provide a relatively simple pinching staple formed of sheet material wherein the tapering legs of the earlier devices are eliminated and the drawing force is produced by means of an entirely new principle.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying drawing and the following description wherein an exemplary embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the stapling device showing the arrangement of the parts thereof prior to its use.

Figure 2 is another View in side elevation showing the manner by which the prongs have been moved towards each other.

Figure 3 is a view in perspective showing the stapling device in a position with'the prongs inserted in the two pieces of material to be joined and prior to the clampingaction.

Figure 4 isa view similarto Figure 3 showing the arrangement of the material asdrawn together when the stapling device is completely drivenhome.

Referring 'to the drawing, there is shown :in

the various figures a stapling device adapted to l shape of the material and the properties "thereof are such as to have a greater resistance to distortion by compression forces applied in alignment with the surface of the material than the force required to bend the-material applied at a substantial angle to the surface thereof.

The device ispreferably formed in an integral manner from a single piece of metal. However, parts of the staple may be individually formed and joined-by welding or like processes.

The stapling device comprises essentially looped .body portion shown generally at Ill in Figure 1, having a relatively straight or intermediate section II which isielevated withrespect to other parts :of the staple when the device is completely formed and ready to be used as clamping means. The material forming the intermediate body portion H is folded or bent'at the ends thereof toward thecenterof the straight portion 'to provide supplemental body portions I2 and M. The :angles [5 and Iii formed between the member H and thesupplemental .body portions l2 and M are necessarily acute to accomplish the purposes as hereinafter set forth.

The supplemental portions I2 and I4 extend relatively straight in such angular directions towards the center of the intermediate portion I. The straight sections of the supplemental portions however are terminated at the points I!) and 2| to provide an appreciable gap between the ends of the angular supplemental portions. The supplemental portions l2 and I4 are folded or bent at I9 and 2| respectively in directions opposite to the angles l5 and Hi to provide legcarrying portions 22 and 23. The leg-carrying portions extend away from the central portion of the body ID in opposite directions from the points l9 and 2| and substantially parallel to the intermediate section II. The leg-carrying portions may be of any length and preferably project beyond the respective corners 24 and 26 so that the prongs 21 and 28 formed at approximately right angles to the leg-portions may be driven into the parts to be joined by striking the device at the points 29 and 3I.

Such a stapling device is adapted to be used when two pliable objects such as the parts of a pattern or any two pieces of wood are to be clamped immediately adjacent each other. For example there is represented by the dotted lines in Figure 3, two boards 32 and 33 having a slight gap 34 therebetween. In clamping the boards together the staple with the parts thereof arranged in a manner as hereinabove described in connection with Figure 1 is positioned over the crack when the prongs 21 and 28 may be driven respectively into the boards 32 and 33 by means of blows directed immediately above the prongs at the points 29 and 3|.

After the prongs are firmly inserted in the parts to be joined further blows directed to the top of the intermediate body portion I I will cause the staple to assume an arrangement of parts as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. It is to be noted that the boards 32 and 34 are now drawn together and this desirable function is accomplished by the supplemental body portions I2 and I4 assuming positions substantially parallel to the intermediate member II. In other words, the prongs which have been firmly inserted in the boards 32 and 33 are moved towards each other since the gap originally formed between the corners I9 and 2| has been materially lessened as a result of the angular positioned supplemental portions I2 and I4 being forced into a fiat position between the intermediate member I I and the legcarrying portions 22 and 23.

The principle by which the prongs are moved towards each other is more clearly shown in Figure 2 which is made to a scale equalling that of Figure 1. It will be observed that the length of the supplemental portions I2 and I4 remain the same in Figure 2 as in Figure 1. Since the length of these portions remains the same the leg-carrying portions 22 and 23 must move towards each other when the supplemental portions I2 and M are no longer in an angular position with respect to the intermediate section II.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described it is apparent that modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A stapling device, comprising a looped body member consisting of a straight portion and integrally formed substantially straight angularly extending portions folded thereunder and said angular extending portions being dimensioned to provide a substantial space between the ends thereof, leg-carrying portions supported by said angular extending portions adapted to hold the legs in a predetermined spaced relation, whereby the space between said legs may be altered by changing the angular position of said folded portions with respect to said straight portion.

2. A stapling device formed of substantially flat bendable material, comprising a relatively straight intermediate portion, supplemental portions extending angularly from each end of the intermediate portion towards the center of said intermediate portion, a leg-carrying portion extending outwardly from the end of each supplemental portion, and right angle prong-portions formed from the ends of said leg-portions, whereby the prongs are moved towards each other when the supplemental portions are bent to positions adjacent and substantially parallel to said intermediate portion.

3. A stapling device formed of substantially flat bendable material, comprising a relative flat intermediate portion, supplemental portions extending at an acute angle with respect to said intermediate portion and towards the center of the intermediate portion from each end thereof, leg-carrying portions extending outwardly from the end of each supplemental portion substantially parallel to said intermediate portion, and prong portions formed at right angles to said leg-carrying portions, whereby the prongs are moved towards each other when the supplemental portions are bent to lie flat between said intermediate portion and said leg-carrying portions.

4. A stapling device comprising an intermediate portion, a supplemental portion extending angularly from each end of the intermediate portion towards the center of the intermediate portion, said supplemental portions being dimensioned to provide a substantial space between the centrally positioned ends thereof, prongs supported by the centrally positioned ends of said supplemental portions whereby said prongs may be moved towards each other when the supplemental portions are moved to lie longitudinally adjacent the intermediate portion.

5. A stapling device comprising, a pair of prongs supported in a given spaced relation for insertion respectively in two pieces of material to be fastened together, a body portion positioned intermediate said prongs and consisting of a straight portion having supplemental portions extending angularly from the ends of the straight portion for supporting the prongs, said supplemental portions terminating with the ends in a substantial spaced relation with respect to each other whereby said prongs are moved towards each other when the straight portion is arranged longitudinally adjacent the supplemental portions.

EARL HAWKINS. 

